Pingjiang Smoked Tea

Pingjiang Smoked Tea is a type of yellow tea. When it comes to yellow tea, you may be more familiar with Junshan Silver Needle. The production method of yellow tea is similar to that of green tea, but it involves an additional step called menhuang (smothering or smoldering). Between the kill-green process and roasting, the leaves are wrapped, covered, or piled up to allow them to smolder slightly, giving both the tea leaves and the infusion a light yellow hue. The taste is also sweeter, mellower, and smoother.

Pingjiang has a long history of tea cultivation. The Western Jin Dynasty’s "Jingzhou Land Records" states: during the Yuan Kang era of the Jin Dynasty (291–299 AD), tea planting began. Since ancient times, the local area has had a custom of making and drinking smoked tea. A stone tablet from the 10th year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty, discovered in Danjiang Village, San Shi Town, records: “Pingjiang Smoked Tea grows between Mufu and Lianyun mountains. Premium tea is picked around Guyu, then boiled, scooped, rolled, and left to cool before being smoke-dried. Its decoction can treat chronic ailments, and smoked tea has been a long-standing produce.”

Pingjiang Smoked Tea belongs to the yellow tea category. It has a dark brown, glossy appearance with tightly rolled, uniform leaves and tender stems. The liquor is golden bright, with a rich and lasting smoky aroma, a mellow and sweet aftertaste, and tender, even, soft leaves with a brownish-yellow brightness. Smoked tea within one year appears black with hints of green, but over time, it gradually turns completely dark black.